


Come Fall

by remember-gadreel (kams_log)



Series: #SundayGadreel [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Domestic Fluff, Firefighter Gadreel, Firefighter Sam, Firefighters, Fluff, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, SundayGadreel Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 10:20:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4097290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kams_log/pseuds/remember-gadreel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the #SundayGadreel Challenge:</p><p>Sam and Gadreel Winchester are firefighters with the local department. They recently moved, and are in the process of settling down and making a family, including switching jobs in the near future. But until then, it's the continued life of danger and rescue.</p><p>But how long until danger catches up with them? It was really only a matter of time before someone got hurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Fall

**Author's Note:**

> For the #SundayGadreel Challenge:
> 
> This week's challenge was three prompt words: Faith, Alarm, Warmth
> 
> For more information on the weekly challenge: my blog: fallingforgadreel.tumblr.com
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

It was a sunny day for October. Gadreel tilted his face up toward the sky as he breathed in the crisp scent of fall and leaves, admiring the beautiful colors that surrounded him in brown, red, and gold. 

He loved autumn. Like spring, it was a season of change. It was the time when the world collectively prepared for cooler weather, every person suddenly appearing on the streets in jackets and boots and jeans, storing away their shorts and tank tops until the next summer. With autumn came the approach of winter, and with it white snowy blankets and snowmen. 

Gadreel loved it. Unlike the slow, grudging transition of sludge to spring to summer, autumn was sharp and sudden, bringing everything with it often in a few short weeks alone. It never took months to get to winter in Kansas.

Today was sunny, however. Gadreel didn’t mind at all. The weather forecast read for a cold front, coming in just a few short days. He was determined to enjoy the sunshine while it lasted. He had learned from the previous year that as soon as the cold moved in, there would be many weeks of clouds and wisps of breath at everyone’s lips. 

“Enjoying the light?” Came a voice from behind. Gadreel felt a smile touch his lips as he leaned back on the porch steps, looking up to see Sam standing behind him, smiling as well.

The man was barefoot, wearing sweatpants and a loose white shirt and plaid over-shirt. His golden wedding band glinted in the sunshine as he held up two steaming mugs for Gadreel to see. Gadreel grinned as Sam leaned down to put one in his husband’s hand, also giving a brief kiss to his temple.

Gadreel smiled and took a sip of the coffee, looking out over the property in thought.

He and Sam had recently moved to the neighborhood. It wasn’t a new town or anything too exciting, but it was an area neither of them had lived in before. It was quiet often, especially when the neighborhood kids were away at school.

Gadreel found himself often sitting on the porch at night, looking up at the stars and wondering when the clouds would soon cover them. Sam sometimes joined him, held his hand and pointed out the different constellations he’d learned about in high school. 

Now, there was only one star in the sky. Gadreel spotted clouds in the distance and sipped from his mug.

“Do you think we’ll have a storm tonight?” He asked, thoughts immediately drifting to their coming shift at the fire station. 

Sam shook his head and brushed their knees together.

“The weatherman said it should blow right past us, as long as the wind doesn’t change directions,” Sam replied. He leaned his head against Gadreel’s shoulder and grinned up at him. “Why, you nervous?” 

Gadreel smiled softly and shook his head. It was true. While they had recently moved to be closer to work, they had also been thinking seriously about settling down more… permanently. Gadreel was looking to change jobs soon. Maybe even look into adoption agencies in the near future. 

But that didn’t change his current love for helping people out of accidents and fiery situations. 

The weather did cause Gadreel some concerns, however. 

Strangely enough, the idea of early winter storms didn’t mix well with Gadreel. Especially not while he and Sam would be working. 

“I’m only concerned,” Gadreel replied. He leaned down and kissed the mop of brown hair on Sam’s head. Sam’s nose wrinkled as strands fell down into his face, blowing them away before sitting upright again, suddenly towering over Gadreel once again. 

“I understand,” Sam said gently, smiling at Gadreel in that fond way that always had warmth rushing to his face. 

Gadreel smiled back and looked back to the clouds on the horizon. 

Even then, he could sense their day would be an interesting one.

…

It was a few hours later and he and Sam were sitting apart from each other, their team currently speeding toward a fire that had erupted in a business office, spreading up to the second floor. 

Sam was giving him a bold, confident smile as Gadreel offered up a small one in reply, buttoning his jacket in sync with his husband’s. 

“This one’s gonna’ be a biter,” Bobby was saying from up front. “I’d stick close and move careful if I were you.” 

“Will do Bobby!” Sam called with a smile. He leaned over and patted his brother Dean on the shoulder. 

The elder Winchester glowered at him and zipped up the final layer of his fire suit.

“Cheer up,” Sam was saying. “Since when have you not enjoyed the job?” 

Dean grumbled something unintelligible, but it sounded like a curse. Gadreel raised his eyebrows and smiled knowingly. 

Sam was still blissfully unaware, but Dean had lately been hooking up with one of the drivers, a young man named Castiel. Gadreel had seen them fall into the broom closets before the call for the fire came, hands and lips definitely roaming.

Gadreel was still deciding when to tell Sam, or if he should. In the meantime, it was amusing to watch Sam try and get answers out of his stone lipped brother. 

The fire truck came to a halt and the team climbed out, Sam and Gadreel close beside each other as they looked up at the building in front of them. 

It wasn’t too big, but even from the ground Gadreel could see the flicker of flames through the first and second story windows. 

“Well then,” Bobby shouted. “Let’s get to work!”

It was a slow process. Sam maintained the hose and worked the water from outside, while Gadreel and Dean prepared to go inside and pull out anyone who was still inside. 

By their count, and from witness statements, there were still several men and woman on the third floor who couldn’t get to the stairwell. 

When most of the flames were out, the brothers-in-law rushed in and quickly worked their way up the stairs. 

Distantly, Gadreel could hear the roar of wind through the thin, kindling walls. The windows rattled as Dean shouted through the smoke and debris for the remaining businessmen and woman to follow him out. Gadreel took up the rear, watching their surroundings for any possible cave-ins and other employees of the building. 

Over the com, Gadreel heard Bobby say, “Storm’s pickin’ up out here. Better put an extra boost in those steps boys.” 

Gadreel didn’t need the advice. Even from here he could see the snow hitting the windows, the wind picking up in volume and speed. 

“We’re clear on the third floor!” Gadreel called. Dean nodded from the top of the stairwell and shouted to the people to move down slow and orderly. Most of the fire was nearly out. The other members of their team were starting to work their way into the building to get the rest of the lingering flames.

They were lucky there hadn’t been any explosions. 

Almost as though jinxing it, there was a sudden bang from beneath Gadreel’s feet. His eyes widened and looked down through his mask, shocked to see a crack forming between his legs. 

“The third floor is unstable!” Gadreel shouted and quickly rushed to the stairwell, the crack growing behind him and the rumbling increasing. “Let the men on the second floor know.”

“You got it… Gadreel!” 

Gadreel only saw wide green eyes before the floor suddenly disappeared beneath his feet. The last thing he sensed was weightlessness, and then darkness. His back hit the rubble hard, and then there was nothing at all.

…

It was two days later when Gadreel’s eyes slowly began to open again. Pain thrummed at the base of his back, and his arms and legs felt like dead weight. Gadreel squirmed, then hissed at the discomfort, before finally blinking his eyes open.

He saw a white ceiling and walls. Upon flexing his arm, he was surprised to feel a pinch. He looked down and saw an IV line, leading up to a drip and machine that displayed a heartbeat. His own. 

The machine beeped quickly as Gadreel suddenly realized what must have happened. He sat up abruptly, just in time for a hand to reach out and push him back down.

“Hey, hey! Easy there, easy.” 

Gadreel’s eyes widened, finally looking more fully around the room. Sam was there, and Dean in the doorway, holding what looked like a couple ‘Get Well’ balloons and candy. Sam sat at his right, looking at Gadreel like he never thought he’d wake up. 

Gadreel leaned back against his pillow, joints aching angrily at his earlier movements. 

“I-I don’t understand,” Gadreel said slowly, carefully, staring at Sam for answers. 

Sam reached out and wrapped a hand around his own. 

“The floor collapsed beneath you,” Sam explained gently. “You and three of our guys got his pretty bad by some concrete.”

“But they are–?”

“They’re fine,” Sam assured. His lips pulled up into a thin smile, and Gadreel realized it must have been truly bad after all. Sam looked like hadn’t slept in two days. The thought made his stomach churn. 

“Was I… How lon was I unconscious, Sam?” Gadreel asked slowly. 

Sam’s hand tightened around his own, but he shook his head. Dean entered the room and set his things down on the table, the balloons floating to the ceiling carelessly. 

“You were out for two days, Gad,” Dean said finally. “Doctors said you hit your head bad enough you might not wake up, or remember us if you did.” 

Gadreel’s eyes widened in shock. He looked at Sam again, suddenly understanding the lines in his husband’s face and the heavy set to his shoulders. 

Gadreel looked down at Sam’s hand and touched the golden band still resting there. Sam hissed and looked down as well, eyes wide and hesitant. 

Gadreel didn’t care. He pulled Sam’s hand up to his face, kissed his palm, his knuckles, and then the ring itself. 

“I most assuredly remember you, Sam Winchester,” Gadreel said softly. 

Sam let out a shaky breath and nodded. His eyes were shiny, and Gadreel could only imagine the pain he’d gone through the past two days. 

“So, I’m supposed to let the nurses know when you’re awake,” Dean announced, clearly uncomfortable with the display of affection. “You two can keep… that to a minimum till you get your own room, please.”

“I thought this was my room?” Gadreel asked with a small smile. Sam huffed out a laugh, but it fell on deaf ears as Dean hurriedly dashed out of the room.

Gadreel kissed Sam’s hand once more and held it close to him.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” he said softly. 

Sam shook his head and smiled, stood and leaned forward, kissing him on his temple, much like he did the day they went to work. 

“It’s not your fault,” Sam replied gently. “It was the building. It was already unsteady, and then the fire and wind just knocked the support system loose enough that it all fell beneath you. It’s not your fault.”

Gadreel nodded and raised a hand, brushing it through Sam’s hair and pulling his face down. He pressed a kiss to Sam’s lips, then pulled back and looked him in the eye.

“I understand. But I’m beginning to believe it might be time for an earlier retirement than we planned.” 

“Oh,” Sam sounded disappointed. But then his eyes widened and he grinned slowly. “Does that mean we can start our other plan sooner?”

Gadreel chuckled and nodded.

“But first, I think we should see about the hospital bills. Then we can look into our other options.”

Sam nodded, almost giddy, and kissed Gadreel once more.

“You got it, babe.”

…

Five years later, neither Winchester worked for the fire department. Sam went back to Stanford for the law degree he’d been unable to finish, and Gadreel went back to what he did best: teaching. 

Neither of them could ever be happier. Especially Gadreel, when he and Sam’s daughter entered her father’s kindergarten class.

Gadreel sometimes thought back to his accident. He still sat out on the porch sometimes, late at night. He wondered about the fire, and the floor falling beneath him. 

He knew it was an accident, but the thought did still scare him sometimes. If he’d hit the ground a little harder, or if he’d fallen any differently, he might not have lived at all. He never would have met little Amelia, and Sam would have had to live without him.

But Gadreel had lived, and he was perfectly healthy again. His and Sam’s marriage was never better, and Amelia grew more beautiful every day. 

Gadreel decided, accident or not, he couldn’t be happier to be alive to see it.


End file.
